Find a clinic Courses sign in Shop
Our other mahi
Menopause Wellbeing Decide Get Tested NZ Wheel of Fertility
Your cart
Your cart is empty
Continue shopping
Sign in to the shop to view all you your saved items.
Sign in
Shop sign in

Returning customers

Required fields are marked by *

Forgot Password?

Don't have a shop account?

Sign up

New research shows people don't know enough about menopause symptoms or treatment

  • News
  • New research shows people don't know enough about menopause symptoms or treatment
20 OCTOBER 2026 MEDIA RELEASE

  • The Menopause in Aotearoa New Zealand: Knowledge and Experiences Accessing Care report was launched at a webinar on 20 October by its author Ragnar Anderson, Senior Policy and Research Advisor at Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa.

    Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa created an online survey in late 2025 to understand what women and people with a uterus in Aotearoa know about menopause and their experiences of menopause-related care in Aotearoa. The report discusses the survey findings, the wider menopause treatment and care landscape in Aotearoa, and makes a series of recommendations.

    The majority of respondents reported that they had high, moderate or basic knowledge of menopause before experiencing symptoms, but:

    • Many people aren’t aware of the breadth of menopause symptoms – with many only knowing about hot flushes

    • There’s a lack of knowledge about menopause treatment – more than one-third of respondents were unaware of treatment options

    • One-third of respondents found it somewhat difficult to get an appointment for menopause care

    • Many people spoke to their GP about menopause, but experiences were mixed

    • 60% felt their concerns and symptoms were taken seriously

    • 43% of people felt their healthcare provider was knowledgeable about menopause

    • Decades-long misunderstandings of the risk of hormone therapy persist

    • There’s a need for training and guidance for healthcare providers on menopause treatment

    • 60% of those who received menopause treatment felt it improved their quality of life

    Download report

  • Certainly the experience of menopause has received increased attention over the past several years. But this research shows that many people don't know about all the many varied perimenopausal symptoms, and how they can be very impactful on people’s lives, their health and wellbeing – nor about the possible treatment options.”

    Ragnar Anderson, Senior Policy and Research Advisor
  • Beth Messenger.jpg

    If people aren’t aware of the symptoms of perimenopause, they can go unmanaged for years. Meanwhile, hormone therapy is a really effective treatment for menopause – we know it works well for most people. And there are other effective treatments too. So it's disappointing to see that so many people still don't know about – or aren't able to get – the treatment that could significantly improve their quality of life."

    Dr Beth Messenger, Medical Director

  • Survey respondents’ personal experiences form an important part of this report. A selection is included below that illustrates the key themes:

    • Knowledge of health effects and symptoms of menopause

      • Many wished that they had known more about menopause, including the wide range of symptoms, when they might begin, and possible treatments.

      • “I had recurring utis from the age of 46 to 49. My doctor, my gynaecologist I visited too, and I went to a UTI specialist. None of them mentioned how perimenopause could have been the cause of my UTI, which is 100% what i’ve discovered it was. So not even having awareness that the chronic utis I was experiencing as most likely from low estrogen was something I had to figure out on a Facebook post, which was frustrating and 3 years of very painful discovery.”

        “I wish I had known that the symptoms I was experiencing were due to hormonal changes and that I had got help sooner.”

    • Timing of treatment

      • Many respondents wished that they had known the benefits of seeking and receiving care earlier.

      • “Not to wait. Get help before you get to the point of not coping.”

        "That starting treatment earlier is actually better and most health care providers will ignore all your symptoms and that you know how your body should feel. If they don’t think you’re the right age they rely on hormone testing which fluctuates and everybody’s normal is different. I wish I knew I’d have to continue suffering until I was the right age for a doctor to help."

    • Improved training and education for GPs

      • Over a third (36%) of the 120 respondents who answered this question expressed strong feelings about the need for gps and other healthcare providers to receive more and improved education around menopause.

      • “We need GPs to know more about it and not dismiss some of the symptoms as being at cognitive overload. That is what I got told the first time by my GP and I think that was the beginning of symptoms. Could have prevented a lot of anguish if menopause had been discussed then. GPs need upskilling and yes I know they are super busy - have more menopause trained nurses and bring the cost to visit them down. I think it cost me $150 for early visits - that is too expensive.”

  • The report makes the following recommendations based on its findings and respondent feedback:

    1. Increase and improve education for General Practitioners (GPs) and other healthcare providers.

    2. Develop Aotearoa-specific evidence-based menopause best practice guidance for health professionals.

    3. Increase available menopause medications, both funded and unfunded.

    4. Improve and expand access to menopause education for all people.

    5. Fund the training and provision of specialist level menopause care within the public healthcare system.

    6. Conduct more research that explores the diversity of menopause beliefs, values, and experiences is required.

    Learn more about:

    Learn more about Menopause Wellbeing, our private online menopause clinic.